ispace, inc. is looking for Mechanical AIT Engineer to join our growing production team.
Join Assembly, Integration & Testing (AIT) team and play a key role in the development, integration, verification, and testing of spacecraft systems. In this position, you will collaborate closely with design, systems, and manufacturing engineering teams to ensure spacecraft and payload hardware are designed, built, and tested to the highest quality standards. You will support assembly and test operations, manage verification activities, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and lead non-conformance resolution efforts to enhance product reliability and mission success. This role requires a hands-on engineer with strong technical judgment, a passion for aerospace hardware development, and the ability to contribute across the full spacecraft lifecycle—from design reviews and prototyping through integration, testing, and flight readiness. Reporting to the Mechanical AIT Team Lead, you will help establish and maintain best practices, processes, and standards that enable the successful delivery of complex space systems.
Key responsibilities
● Execution of procedures, supervising technicians and interfacing closely with QA department.
● Support definition of quality metrics and acceptance procedures and criteria
● Work closely with design engineering teams and give feedback to simplify processes and improve quality, guiding in the field of best practices, standards, manufacturing and assembly techniques. Advise on detailed design standards and potential re-design requirements. Review specifications and design and provide judgement about quality and manufacturability
● Support the tracking of spacecraft configuration during its build and testing and assist in maintenance of the logbooks and logs of procedures execution.
● Support continuous improvement efforts for improving the effectiveness and leanness of our operations.
● Take responsibility for the non-conformance resolution process execution and completion of cause & corrective action efforts. Maintain a log of lessons learnt
● Support Systems Engineering by contributing to requirements management ensuring all requirements are closed-out at the planned project landmarks
● Provide advice on the selection, integration and calibration of spacecraft instrumentation, including test measurement instrumentation, R&D instrumentation, and flight instrumentation. Support data acquisition system integration and set-up
● Support formulation of spacecraft test requirements, prepare testing documents (plans, specifications, procedures, reports) and review supplier test and verification activities. Manage ispace verification testing activities
● Apply engineering principles to develop mechanical, electronic, or chemical products that meet customer technical/functional specifications as well as manufacturing cost/efficiency requirements
● Conducting 3D design studies and mathematical modelling to determine if proposed designs are technically feasible
● Supporting and participating in the design, test, modification, fabrication, and assembly of prototypes
● May also be involved with designing product specific manufacturing production processes and equipment
● Reviewing, critiquing and correcting Mechanical AIT team internal products such as processes, procedures and other technical documents
● Contributing to the development of MAIT processes, sequences and techniques to enable assembly, integration and test of spacecraft subsystems and payloads
● This role is reporting to the Mechanical AIT Team Lead.
Required skills
● 2+ years experience with spacecraft integration and verification campaigns including environmental testing.
●Working level in Japanese language (JLPT N4 or equivalent is a plus)
● Knowledge of DFMA concepts and proven experience applying them.
● Certification in Lean Six Sigma or other process improvement methods.
● Previous experience working in a focussed team of 3-7 people
● Knowledge of ERP software and database management
Preferred Skills
Fluent in Japanese (N2 certificate, equivalent or better)
Previous Experience with the following programs and systems:
Microsoft Office
Atlassian Productivity Suite
Forklift operation, Overhead Crane Operation
We will prioritize candidates currently in Japan with valid working visa.
For overseas candidates, please note that you choose to proceed, this role requires relocation to Japan upon acceptance of the position. Compensation will be provided in JPY and aligned with local market benchmarks in Japan, based on the role’s level, scope, and prevailing industry standards.
